Customer Reviews

Frenemies

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm bad at listing out reasons I liked certain books. Frenemies is one of those - I can't pinpoint exactly what worked here. If I had to take a guess, I would say it's the execution. The plot itself wouldn't be able to carry the novel as strongly as the writing did. For that Alexa Young deserves a commended performance. Her snappy, subtly-engaging narrative is brilliant, graceful and effortless. Tip of the iceberg though.

I'm sure we all remember what it was like to be thirteen, when even the slightest weird sidelong glance from our best friends would shake our self-confidence. So it's no wonder that when Halley comes back from art camp and is styling is a whole new (and weird, according to Avalon) way, Avalon's quips about her new fashion choices put a strain on their friendship. It's a fast transition, and before they know it, they're parting ways.

My only criticism for this novel comes in here, at the friendship portion: We never really see just how good of friends these two girls are. There isn't a lot of back story, which is fine since this is a series. Alexa assures me she's working on making people realize how deep this friendship runs. (Which means character development and character soul-searching, and that makes me go squee!) That said, the split was handled particularly well in the sense that the reader gets to really feel the hardship it poses on both Halley and Avalon. While they're both working hard at establishing new scenes and new personas, they both also miss each other very much, even if they'll never admit it. This rang true. Very much so.

I know some reviewers seem to think this book is either immature or too fashion-focused. They're entitled to their own opinion, sure, but I respectfully disagree with both. If anything, I thought both Halley and Avalon were, all things considered, very mature girls. Sure, they got childish when playing pranks to get back at one another (friendship feud, hello), but who doesn't? Some of the things they did were outright hilarious. And the fashion thing was there, sure, but it didn't reach overkill levels; in fact, I hardly even noticed it. Then again, this isn't something that really bothers me.

I will never bash Gossip Girl, A-List, It Girl, The Clique, or any other Poppy novel because of their shallow and somewhat unrealistic characters. Those books are serving their marketable purpose and they're pretty damn good for what they're designed to do, which is be guilty pleasures. All I know is this: if Alexa Young set out to create a series resembling any of the Poppy books for the younger set, she failed. This book embodies good writing, fashion, friendship and foes seamlessly, which . Frenemies isn't the cheap-entertainment good; it's the genuine kind.

Strong recommendation from Reviewer X. I'll be following this series very, very closely.

Avalon Green, blond and beautiful, and Halley Brandon, dark-haired and breathtaking, have been best friends since forever. The one thing that they've always had in common is fashion. The girls are getting ready to start eighth grade after their summer apart. Avalon has planned a huge party celebrating their friendship, but when Halley arrives home from her summer at art camp the girls realize that something is different.

The girls have grown apart during the summer. Or perhaps they have just discovered who they are and are coming into their own. Either way, when their disagreement reach epic proportions, a dissolution of the friendship is written up. They take out all the stops to get back at each other, everything from verbal bashing to public humiliation.

Will the girls be able to look past everything they've put each other through to become best frenemies?

I had read some let's say mediocre reviews for Frenemies, so I wasn't exactly sure what to think. But I actually really liked Frenemies! I read on my day off and I couldn't put it down. I have to admit I was laughing out loud throughout the book, I'm glad I read it at home. Alexa seems like such a fun and energetic person and you can totally see she puts all of that into her writing. The lady cracks me up! And the story has relevance, you've all seen the girls and guys for that matter who were childhood friends, and then realize that maybe they are going in different directions. I'm sure it wasn't played out as dramatic as this story, but that is what makes it so entertaining. I think readers of Poseur and Melissa Walker's Violet on the Runway would enjoy this book. It's very fashion orientated, but I thought that aspect was fun! My fashion exploits tend to run in the t-shirt and jeans department, what can I say. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the Frenemies saga, Faketastic!

Halley and Avalon have been best friends for life. They live next door to each other, and their mothers have been friends for ages. These girls are privileged, talented, and smart--and they know it. They intend to rule eighth grade together, and to kick off the new school year, they plan a huge bash celebrating their friendship. But when Halley comes back from summer camp, the two girls find themselves disagreeing on just about everything, and within a week they're each other's archenemy. But they'll soon learn that the only thing to do with your worst enemy is to make them your frenemy...


Pre-teens will enjoy yet again another tale of the rich and privileged girl's struggle for survival in a school that's not all the different from their own. It's impossible to choose sides with these two bright and intelligent girls as they learn that part of growing up means that sometimes you need to find your own way. Readers will gasp, cry, and laugh along as Avalon and Halley struggle to come out on top with their many ploys and clever tricks, and just maybe even find a way to become friends again.

Move over THE CLIQUE and THE ASHLEYS...the FRENEMIES are here to stay.

Avalon and Halley have been best friends forever. Their backyards connect and they share custody of their dog, Pucci. They are the fashion gurus at Seaview Middle School.

The summer going into eighth grade changes everything between the two BFFs. Halley has gone off to an art program at Berkley for the summer, leaving Avalon alone. While at Berkley, Halley befriends Sofee, the girl that up until the end of school, Avalon and Halley had nicknamed Softee. To while away her summer alone, Avalon has become friends with Brianna Cho, the head cheerleader. Neither girl approves of the new friendships.

From the first day home from Berkley, Halley can tell things aren't the way they had been with Avalon. The two try to catch up on how they spent their summer as they prepare for the first day of school. Avalon shares her idea of having a back-to-school party, celebrating their friendship. Halley has a hard time getting into the excitement, but goes along with the plan.

Before long, it seems like the new friendships each has built over the summer have caused a major rift in their own friendship. The two start feuding in deliciously snarky (trust me, this word is used a lot in the book!) ways. With the intervention of their parents, the two girls develop a truce. But by the time the combined party rolls around, is the truce going to last?

The story was a lot of fun, especially with all the catty maneuvers they pull on each other. With best friends like these, who needs enemies?

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

When I first started reading Frenemies I worried that it was another fashion-obsessed mean girls story. How wrong I was. Frenemies shows the true complexity of girls' relationships with a fun story of rivalry and affection. The book is funny--including the girls' settlement agreement and their snarky style guide in the school paper, which was a blast to read. Alexa Young gives the girls real friendship and jealousy issues to deal with, and I think most girls--and even women--will empathize with their struggles to maintain their relationship. I found myself unable to put this book down, and now I can't wait for the next one to come out. Frenemies is definitely the new Clique!

What a fun book! I'm in my 30's and bought Frenemies for my niece. I haven't yet given it to her because I wanted to read it first. The humor is delicious and the storyline definitely makes me eager for the next in the series. I think any young adult (and older!) will enjoy this read. It catapulted me right back into middle school and I loved it.

Review from [...]


Title: Frenemies
Author: Alexa Young
Grade: B+
Ideal Audience: Girls, 10-16

Summary: Halley and Avalon have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Fashion has always been important to them, and when they are given an opportunity to write a fashion column for the school's newspaper together, they jump at the chance. It looks like it's going to be a great year!

However, tension soon starts building between them. Halley is hanging out with people that Avalon can't stand, and vice versa. They're opinions about fashion- ever in sync- are starting to clash. Their differences start adding up until suddenly, they're in the middle of a huge fight.

Halley and Avalon do everything they can to sabotage the other, from pulling nasty pranks to spreading dirty secrets. They divide up the fashion column and use it to snark about each other. Rumor about the fight has gotten around their school, and soon everybody is picking sides.

Will the two be able to eventually overcome their differences and repair their friendship? Or will the fighting continue?

My thoughts: Probably my favorite thing about Frenemies was that there was always something I could look forward to: the next prank that either Halley or Avalon will pull, or the next fashion column that will be written up. I also liked seeing how their different personality quirks responded to the fight: for example, Avalon drew up a document stating when they could take care of their dog, where they could sit at lunch, which activities they could take part in, etc.

My only problem was that Halley and Avalon seemed to be acting a bit childish. While it's true that this lent to the fun of the book, it was unrealistic to me. There had been no huge cause for them to get in a fight, and if they had been best friends for so long, wouldn't they at least try to work it out?

Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to the sequel, Faketastic.

Avalon and Halley have always been the ultimate best friends. They live right behind each other, they share their beloved puppy Pucci, and this year they even get to co-host a fashion blog for their school's newspaper. At the beginning of eighth grade Avalon decides to throw a huge party in honor of the girls' friendship. Halley's not that keen but, for the sake of her friend, she goes along with it. Things start to go down hill from there. The girls can't seem to agree on anything, be it fashion advice or who to hang out with. Soon the jabs between the girls become lethal and full out war is declared between them. Avalon's even gone as far as to draw up an agreement between them as to who gets custody of Pucci, who gets which friends, and who's in charge of the blog. As the weeks go by the girls develop new friendships and keep on fighting with each other. Even their blog posts start turning into malicious jabs at each other. As to their party Avalon seems to have taken over the whole thing, but Halley still feels that since her name is attached to the invitation she should have some say in what goes on at the party. Will the party be a big bang or bust? Will the girls ever get over their differences and become besties once again?

I'm not sure I quite loved this book. By no means was the book bad for me there just wasn't that extra something that made the book sparkle. Still, there were many parts that I loved about it. For one, I thought the book was hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud many times. The comments that Avalon and Halley made to each other were the best. At times I felt like shouting "burn" and then laughing some more! After contemplating the whole book I think the reason it didn't sparkle for me was that it was geared more toward a younger audience. If I was a little younger I don't think I would have found some of the things that Halley and Avalon fought over so petty. For fans of the Clique books I would definitely recommend Frenemies as I think you would really like it. The book finishes with many questions still left unanswered, but don't fret they will be answered by the time the series finishes (there will be four book total). I am defnintely hooked enough that I look forward to reading the rest of the books as they come out!

Avalon and Halley have been Havalon, aka, best friends for as long as they can remember. But after Halley comes back from summer art camp in California, and Avalon had stayed home, things are different.

They decide to throw a Friendapalooza - but that was before Havalon got into a fight. The only way their moms will let them throw the party is if they act like they're still friends, however. They do this in front of their parents, but lead separate lives at school.

The one thing I found wrong with this book is that sometimes Avalon and Halley seemed like they were too old to be their real age. I kept having to remind myself that Halley and Avalon were in the beginning of their eighth grade year. They seemed to be more around the age of fifteen or sixteen at some points in the book.

And a few of my friends that have read the book were saying that there was too much drama in it, but I didn't think so. I thought there was just the right amount of drama. I know my class last year in the eighth grade year produced that much drama and more!

I liked how the blog posts were in between the chapters. It was a nice break from the story and even at some points kind of summed up the chapter. At the same time, it can even help you brush up on your fashion tips!

While we're on the topic of fashion, I loved how I could understand what people were wearing. I get reading other books like Gossip Girl and It Girl and the fashion-name-dropping is horrible and I can't understand it - I'll be the first to tell you I'm not the greatest expert at fashion. There was some name dropping, but it was also in a way where you can understand it and aren't looking up what things mean all the time.

Also, I don't think I found one single swear word in this book! YAY! This is the first young adult book I've read in a long time that didn't have any swearing at all - which is a definite plus!

Alexa Young used just the right amount of drama, friendship trouble, and fashion to write an amazing book, which is why I'm granting it a four and a half hearts.

Avalon and Halley have been best friends since they can remember. The live next door to each other and even have a puppy, Pucci, that they share custody of. When Halley goes off to art camp, Avalon can't wait for her best friend to come home. She's even planned a party in their friendship's honor. But, when Halley returns from art camp, Avalon gets a huge surprise. Not only has her best friend lost her fashion sense, she's gotten a new friend, in the form of Sofee. A girl that was once nicknamed by the two friends as Softee. At school, the two friends, who are in the same class for the school paper, begin a competition in which they are fighting with others for their own column, where they give fashion advice to the other students. Both girls are having a hard time adjusting to the new friends that the other has made.

When, two friends end up having a falling out, that's when the true drama begins. Avalon, who is the daughter of lawyers, draws up an agreement which lets them know the terms of custody of Pucci, and they start rotating days on the Style Snark column for the paper. They decide that the students can vote for which style snark they like the best. From parties to sleepovers, the girls throw low blows to each other. Will these two friends work everything out, or will be be full on war for the rest of the year? Well, I guess you'll just have to read to find out.

This book is a different kind of fun. You'll be turning the pages to see what the Avalon and Halley will come up with next to try and destroy the other. I love the way that the girls' claws come out in the Style Snark column. Both throw out comments on the others outfits and more. This book is fashionably fun and, trust me, addicting. Make sure to look for the sequel, Faketastic, coming out Jan. 2009.